When Al Musmak lines up in the Qipco 2000 Guineas this Saturday week, he'll attempt to overcome his outsider status.
The son of Night Of Thunder, trained by Roger Varian, has impressive form. He has won the Ascendant Stakes at Haydock and finished second to Ghostwriter in the Royal Lodge, two highly respectable starts behind Rosallion at Ascot.
Since then, a return to the Rowley Mile for the first Classic of the season has been planned, and the handler from Carlburg Stables is excited to send his colt into a major race for the first time this season.
“It’s our intention to run Al Musmak in the 2000 Guineas and he’s training nicely at home,” said Varian. “He’s got some very solid form from last year, finishing runner-up to Rosallion in the Pat Eddery Stakes and winning a strong Ascendant Stakes where the second, third and fourth all run at Sandown in the Classic Trial and we’ll be keen to have a good look at that form. Then he wasn’t beaten too far by the Clive Cox horse (Ghostwriter) when second in the Royal Lodge. He’s a 108-rated, strong performer and it’s always been our intention to go straight to a Guineas with him and we’re looking forward to doing that.”
Although that may undervalue the strength of his juvenile form, Al Musmak is currently rated a 50-1 shot for the Guineas by the bookmakers. Varian hopes he can make the necessary improvements to do himself justice on May 4.
“There are a lot of good horses from those autumn races and he’s got solid form,” added Varian. “He’s 108 not 118, so he needs to improve to bring home a 2000 Guineas. But he’s going into the race fresh, he’s wintered well and he looks a stronger horse – it’s not beyond him to run well.”